The phone is becoming a critical element in the way Gen Z and Millennials travel and use technology.
While Covid might have accelerated the acceptance of staff-less boutique hotels, the trend was already well under way. And with the adoption of technology by Millennials and Gen-Z, it is growing more rapidly. Why now? The populations mentioned above want to travel and they want experiences. That is why Airbnb has risen so rapidly in the past decade. Boutique hotels are looking at the easy convenience a technology-based hotel might provide in addition to a better customer experience. These hotels aren’t some distant possibility; they are here now. As these hotels begin popping up around the world and customers not only embrace them but demand them, they will become more commonplace. They’ll move from being one of the latest trends in technology to becoming as ubiquitous as the smartphone which is no doubt at your elbow. So, what can a phone provide for a staff-less hotel?
Well, let’s examine what they are actually doing. Check in is less than two minutes. Room keys? No, just use your phone. Customizing your room via extra pillows, fruit basket on arrival and ordering food from local restaurants to be delivered to your room. Free Netflix and Wi-Fi. And, in an ironic twist, little to no staff. You would think that having little to no staff would create potential problems. Quite the opposite. This “frictionless” stay works in the hotels favor. Customers might expect less and then be pleased when everything seems fine. Second, it removes the potential for disagreements between guests and staff. Admit it, we don’t travel anywhere just to meet the hotel staff. And for Gen-Z and Millennials who already use their phone to do everything, this use of technology might seem commonplace to them.
If you are a small business owner or entrepreneur looking to leverage this trend, then let’s look at the absolutes you must incorporate into your property.
Low staffing. One of the most significant costs in running a boutique hotel is the staff labor. A small hotel that is marginally profitable or unprofitable with staff, could be wildly profitable with little to no staff. You might only need a manager during the day, utilize room cleaning services via a cleaning service, offer no restaurant but work with a local bakery that can deliver fresh croissants and coffee to a common area. This is exactly what Basillio 55 in Rome has done. Add in a seamless check-in experience via technology and provide information on local tourist attractions, restaurants and shopping and you can create a quality experience.
Technology first. When Amazon initially said they could deliver a better shopping experience than retail, stores, no one believed them. Well, for quite a few items, they have surpassed our expectations. The opportunity might be similar in this industry. You just need to embrace the utilization of the technology to deliver a solid customer experience. A few sensors in the right location ensures you can continue to provide other services to your guests as they move into, around and out of the property. Text messages guiding them to local attractions or hidden restaurants just adds to the overall experience.
Delivering the experience. Your hotel needs to embrace the notion of “delivering the experience” to the rising independent-thinking travelers who look forward to seeing examples of technology like artificial intelligence during their travels. These travelers want to do the business of getting into their accommodation themselves. They don’t want to converse with hotel staff, choosing to instead experience their destination or settle into the comforts of their accommodation. Then they will go out and gather their real experience from the destination city. Funny, we usually don’t meet anyone when we stay in an Airbnb and it’s no big deal. But give tech-savvy travelers a staff-less hotel that delivers a great experience and they will actually talk to others about this “cool” hotel they stayed at.
MORE FOR YOU
